There’s something special about the relationship with a dog who chooses you as his own. From the moment Pluto strolled into our house as a rescue dog, he had decided that I was his. And that’s how it has always been, for nine happy years. I couldn’t change your beginning It’s hard to say what Pluto went through in the early years, but he wasn’t a happy dog. When our local rescue found him, he had been beaten and starved. There was wood embedded into his chest, requiring an operation to remove it. And it was many months after we…

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the amazing unicorn toy that was created from Lia’s drawing. Of course, Libby wanted some of the action too, so she designed her own dream pet. Libby is a loud, gregarious character with a vivid imagination and a wicked sense of humour. Her dream pet was never going to be something as normal and reasonable as a unicorn. Instead, she designed something to reflect her character and personality. Introducing the sausage giraffe After a few attempts at drawing her dream pet, Libby eventually came up with the sausage giraffe. She decided that if…

Lia is an incredibly girly little girl and I have literally no idea where she gets it from. Libby chooses her clothes each morning based on what looks the sportiest. She’s never happier than when she’s wearing a running t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. Whereas Lia regularly refuses to leave the house wearing anything other than a dress. And it has to be the right dress too. Pink, sparkly and covered in unicorns is preferable. Lia’s dream pet Lia adores the dogs and she would rather like a cat as well. Or a rabbit, hamster or guinea pig for that matter.…

For many of us, dogs are part of the family. And when you’re travelling in the UK, you want to bring them with you. But I’ve recently noticed a trend towards accommodation declaring itself ‘dog friendly’ when, quite frankly, it isn’t. There are so many restrictions that unless you have one small dog that doesn’t shed hair or have vocal chords, you can’t bring them. So, here’s a list of UK hotels, pubs, self-catering accommodation, caravan parks and campsites that are dog friendly. I’ve listed any restrictions that may prevent you from bringing your dog, such as only allowing one…

An elderly dog padded steadily across a green field. He drank in the spring air and paused to investigate an interesting smell. Life was no longer a rush. Age was not an affliction, rather an opportunity to embrace the finer things. A warm bed, a slow walk and the excitement of being reunited with loved ones. Embrace youth like a dog Every sunrise brings a new adventure. Spring from your bed ready to face the day. Run, play and love with the boundless enthusiasm of a puppy. Fill every moment with excitement, until you can take no more. Then sleep,…

I’ve thought long and hard about writing this post because I don’t want to persuade people to get a dog. It is a massive commitment for the length of that dog’s life. I also don’t condone buying dogs with so many being put to sleep every day simply because nobody wanted them. But my rescue dogs have changed my life for the better, not least because of the health benefits of owning a dog. Physical health benefits of owning a dog The NHS suggest that walking 10,000 steps a day is a great way to kickstart a more active lifestyle. But according…

The problem with dogs is that it feels as though they were always there. And we kid ourselves that they always will be. Where it all began I remember the day you came home like it was yesterday. And yet, it seems like a lifetime ago. You trotted in, sniffed around and curled up happily on your bed. They said not to let you off the lead for a few weeks. They thought you would run off as you were still getting used to your new environment. But I knew they were wrong. You were so attached to me, we let you…